Injured jockey's signs all 'positive'

Expatriate New Zealand jockey Shane Dye is showing positive signs of recovery after a serious race fall in Hong Kong, says trainer and close friend Paul O'Sullivan.

Dye was placed in a medically induced coma after undergoing surgery to relieve pressure on his brain on Sunday.

New Zealander O'Sullivan, who operates a stable in Hong Kong, said Dye had regained consciousness.

"People who have seen him in the past few hours said he is communicating by writing on a piece of paper," O'Sullivan told Radio New Zealand. "It's a very positive sign. It all looks pretty positive."

Dye, 39, was riding one of O'Sullivan's horses, Ambitious Marju, in an 1800m race at Sha Tin racecourse on Sunday when he fell after bumping into fellow contestant Master Able.

O'Sullivan said Ambitious Marju "tripped over the heels of the horse in front of it and they [horse and Dye] dropped like a stone.

"He was thrown over the horse's head and the horse behind fell over the top of him."

Dye was rushed to Hong Kong's Prince of Wales Hospital.

O'Sullivan said Dye's accident was another example of the extreme dangers jockeys lived with.

"The risk is like driving a Formula One car. Unfortunately from time to time these accidents do happen.

"There can be some very nasty spills and everyone rolls away okay, then there can be times when there is a tragic ending."

O'Sullivan said Dye was an "amazingly competitive" person.

"Anyone who has achieved what he has in the racing industry - he rode his 100th group one winner the other day - only a handful of jockeys in the world can boast that.

"How he comes through this, well, God only knows, but the main thing is that things look pretty good and hopefully he'll make a full recovery."

The South China Morning Post newspaper said scans revealed Dye was suffering from bleeding on the brain and he had surgery to relieve the pressure.

Dye has been in Hong Kong since 2000, where he has ridden more than 200 winners.

- NZPA